Kombucha – A Well-Tried Potion Rediscovered

Ingredients and Effects of the Kombucha Tea Fungus

The Ingredients of the Kombucha Tea Fungus

In Asia and Europe, Kombucha is traditionally seen and used as food that harmonizes our body and metabolism. The finished Kombucha drink is naturally full of goodness such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes, organic acids and important trace elements.

Depending on the type of preparation, the ingredients of your Kombucha drink can vary considerably: origin of the tea fungus, used tea, room temperature, water quality, fermentation time, type and amount of sugar, and many other factors have great impact on the final formula of your Kombucha drink. Exact quantities of the ingredients cannot be given since they are subject to individual fluctuations that are common to an all-natural product like our Kombucha. Therefore we cannot guarantee that your ready fermented Kombucha will contain certain ingredients in certain quantities for legal reasons.

In the following, we have listed some of the ingredients that have been attested for Kombucha drinks.

An additional component that may be found in Kombucha is usnic acid which is usually obtained from lichens. It is assumed that the tea fungus actually produces this acid in order to protect itself from other microorganisms.

Although Kombucha tea tastes sour, our body treats the tea alkaline due to its ingredients – just like e.g. vegetable juices or root vegetables such as beetroot and potatoes.

If you want to find out more about the possible effects of Kombucha, we recommend that you consult the applicable literature and also that you get in touch with your health care professional, nutritionist or doctor for individual advise on the consumption of Kombucha drinks.

As manufacturer and direct distributor, we are strictly prohibited to make any statements about the possible health effects of Kombucha drinks. Every single statement by us would need to be documented by elaborate and expensive medical studies – which we cannot afford given that we are only a small workshop for the “organic” life style. Large food corporations have no interest in such studies because traditional beverages such as Kombucha cannot be patented or otherwise legally protected. This is actually the same reason why nowadays many other traditional natural remedies are also offside: The “small ones” may not afford the required studies and the “big ones” have no interest because this market is not open for patents anyway.

Attention, Science! What is Kombucha and how does it work ?

As we have seen, the "secret" of Kombucha is mainly based on its numerous biologically active ingredients, especially the various organic acids and yeasts. Some of these natural ingredients also come from the initial components themselves (used tea and raw cane sugar). But how can the microorganisms in the Kombucha produce further elements?

The Kombucha fungus succeeds in transforming the tea into a delicious power drink within a few days by means of complicated fermentation and related processes. At first, this sounds much more exceptional than it actually is. Important foods such as beer, wine and bread are produced by the fermentation of yeast fungi and man has always used the acidification of useful bacterial cultures to make food durable and healthy ever since – just think of cheese, yogurt, vinegar, sauerkraut and or the spicy Korean kimchi. Kombucha tea itself tastes a bit sour but counts like lemon juice or cider vinegar to alkaline food.

The Secret of Fermentation

Kombucha is similar to other fermented and acidified foods. Its special feature is that it consists of a multitude of different yeast cultures and bacterial strains living in a natural symbiosis (community, biocenosis) in which everyone benefits the other. This fingerprint also applies to the original Kefir and Water Kefir. We have summarized how you ensure a successful acidification of your Kombucha culture medium in our dedicated article “Kombucha and pH-Values”[GERMAN PAGE].

You may imagine the interplay of mutual benefits as follows: The yeasts supply the bacteria with essential nutrients and ferment the sugar into alcohol. The alcohol is then turned by the bacteria into organic acids and other ingredients. This acidification is very important for the survival of the tea fungus itself because it means that no other microorganism can go viral in there. Only the acid-resistant yeasts and bacteria of the tea fungus can prosper in the acidified milieu they have carefully worked out in their long-term partnership.

The Kombucha partnership itself also lives in another symbiosis – with us humans. Although all types of its bacteria and yeasts are also found in nature, their unique alliance only exists with human care (as known so far). The Kombucha fungus would die without our support. Just a coincidence or lucky find very long ago led to its emergence – and to the fact that people recognized its refreshing and vitalizing effect.

Within a few days and through complicated metabolic processes, the bacteria in the tea produce a solid-leathery mass consisting of pure cellulose. This is the actual tea fungus which usually floats on top of the drink. By time, it covers the whole surface where it grows to a more solid layer becoming several centimeters thick. It gets the shape of an elastic, whitish disc and looks like a thick pancake. Depending on the tea used, it may also be pink or light beige in color.

While at work, the Kombucha fungus induces several complex reactions in your tea (processes of assimilation and dissimilation). Especially the sugar is almost fully transformed into organic acids; some small amount of alcohol is also produced. The alcohol volume is only a minor 0.5 % - no more than in the so called alcohol-free beer or some selected fruit juices.

Note: All information and tips on our website have been selected and verified by us with great care. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee for the currency, completeness and validity of the given data. We assume no liability for any damage and or accidents. When following our recommendations, tips, and notes, please also use your own personal judgment and experience in the proper and safe handling of food.